Soundtrack of Sorrow
by Child of a Pineapple
Summary: FINISHED Sleeping is a perfectly normal and safe thing. Of course, it is as long as you don't do it while you're driving.
1. Everything Changes

Cop's gone and written yet another 'Joan of Arcadia' fanfiction.  This one is set on an entirely different timeline than 'Musings of a Child' and 'Thrice is the Charm', however.  Will it ever end?  Cop does not know.  Perhaps no one truly does.

Anyway, Cop is so very extremely pleased, as she has finally found an excuse to write a PG-13 fic for this show.  And, no, not PG-13 for…adult…things, just in case you're wondering.  No, the rating is for copious amounts of blood.  Okay, maybe not _copious_, but yes, there is blood.  And I find enjoyment in things like that.  Of course, that has led my mom to think that I have a preoccupation with death, but that's another story.

I don't own 'Joan of Arcadia', as much as I wish I owned dear space boy, even if his uncle did flush kittens down a toilet.  I really don't want to watch 'Freddy vs. Jason', but it's either that or 'The Girl Next Door' if I want to see Mr. Marquette in anything else.  Well, I did see him on an episode of 'Even Stevens', but he was like, eleven, and his voice was funny.  It was hilarious, though.   

Uhm…back to a relevant topic.  I had this idea a while ago, after watching 'Impact, Stories of Survival'.  I don't own that show, either.  Everything else comes from the violent part of my mind, hidden deeply behind my seemingly innocent nature.  And believe me when I say seemingly.

Okay, now for this first chapter I've put the lyrics to a song, which I don't own.  It fits perfectly with the plot, especially for this one.  Now, you might want to kill me after reading this, but please don't.  Things aren't always as they seem.  Besides, if you kill me you'll never find out what really happens.  I have the first four chapters written, and the entire thing mapped out, so hopefully updates will be timely.

Before I go, please let me have some ranting time.  If you haven't seen 'State of Grace', then just skip this, okay?  I can deal with the whole Adam and that other girl thing from next episode, because high school relationships never last, and Adam and Joan have a better chance of staying together if they just chill out till after high school, but you know what I can't deal with?  Luke and Glynis.  I'm serious, Luke and GLYNIS?  Whatever happened to Luke and Grace?  *Is so very mad* Okay, I'm sorry about that.  I'll shut up about that now.

Gosh, I don't think I have much more to say.  If the people seem out of character, I'm really sorry, and will try to work on it.  Please review and tell me what you liked or what I should work on.  For the people who have read my other 'Joan of Arcadia' stuff, this is a look into the darker writing style that I prefer.  Writing about Liz and such is all good and fun, but angst is so much more…me.  Does that make sense?  I hope so…

And, without further adieu, here's chapter one of 'Soundtrack of Sorrow'.

*          *          *          *

**Soundtrack of Sorrow**

_Chapter One:  Everything Changes_

'Tonight is the Night I Fell Asleep at the Wheel'

Barenaked Ladies (CD:  Maroon)

_Driving home to be with you_

_The highway's divided, the city's in view_

_As usual, I'm almost on time_

_You're the last thing that's on my mind_

_I wish I could tell you the way that I feel_

_But tonight is the night I fell asleep at the wheel_

_No commotion, no screaming breaks_

_Most of it's over before I awake_

_From the ceiling my coffee cup drips_

_While out my window, the horizon does flips_

_The worst part was hitting the ground – _

_Not the feeling as much as the sound_

_Can't help but wonder if all this is real_

_'Cause tonight is the night I fell asleep at the wheel_

_Rubberneck traffic and passersby_

_And Slow Motion Walter the fire engine guy_

_Stand around with their mouths open wide_

_I heard some idiot ask if someone's inside_

_With the Jaws of Life they tried and they tried_

_But nobody here can know how I feel_

_'Cause tonight is the night I fell asleep at the wheel_

_I guess it's over now_

_Because I've never seen so much_

_Never seen so much_

_Never seen so much blood_

_In all the confusion, there's something serene_

_I'm just a posthumous part of the scene_

_Now I'm floating above looking in_

_As the radio blares and wheels spin_

_I can see my face slump with a grin_

_And you…you're the last thing on my mind_

_You're the last thing on my mind_

_You're the last thing on my mind_

_You're the last thing on my-_

It was mid July, and four friends were on their way home.  They had left Maryland for a sojourn in New York City, but their trip had come to an end, as all good things must.  Three of them would be heading off to college in the fall, and the fourth would begin his senior year of high school.  It was the last little bit of time they would spend together before everything changed.

Of course, they didn't know exactly how much things were about to change, or how drastically.

It was close to four in the morning, and Adam was in the driver's seat, absentmindedly tapping his fingers of the steering wheel.  Grace sat beside him, staring out the window, and Joan and Luke were both half-asleep in the backseat.  There were only a few more hours to go until they reached home.  The road that they now traveled on ran along the edge of a cliff, with a wall of rock on one side, and a steep, downward, tree-covered slope on the other.  Eventually, the land evened out, but it was still covered by trees for a few miles in three directions.  There was a river running through the forest somewhere, but the trees were so dense that it wasn't visible from above.

The radio was tuned into a late night talk show, and the volume was at the minimum.  Over the quiet whisper of voices, Adam thought that he heard a dull roar.  He figured that was probably a sign that someone else needed to drive, since he had known that he himself was ready to fall asleep, but decided that he would wait until they found somewhere to stop.  He turned the car slowly, and unknowingly crossed into the path of incoming traffic.  Something registered in his mind as not right, and he stopped the car for a moment, trying to figure out where that roaring was coming from.  Suddenly, glaring lights illuminated the inky night darkness.  Adam looked dazedly straight into the lights, but his dozing mind barely had time to recognize what the object was before the semi-truck crashed forcefully into Adam's side of the car, smashing it in, and tearing the vehicle all but in half.  The truck stopped soon enough to remain on the road, but the dark Chevy Trailblazer and its inhabitants, were less lucky, and went tumbling through the trees and down the slope.

Amidst the sounds of crashing and tearing as the car finally split in half, Adam heard screams.  He looked around in the shining blackness of the night, and for a moment he wondered if Jane was alright, but then he felt a terrible, sharp pain as something pierced his chest.  The last thing that Adam saw was darkness, the terrified scream still echoing in his now deaf ears.

*          *          *          *

Nice song, don't you think?  Very relevant.  Yes, I know that was short, but it's supposed to be that way.  It was setting the scene for the rest of the chapters, which will be longer.  Please review!

~Cop~


	2. Rude Awakenings

Wow, that's a lot of reviews for one day.  I'm so glad everyone liked that chapter.  I figured I'd have mobs with pitchforks hoarding me.  But, no, I don't.  Yay!  I'm really hyped about this story, because it's really fun to write so far.  Well, fun in an angsty, dark sort of way.  

Thanks to everyone that has reviewed, and that means you, LyssaBoot, crazy steph, Allie, Sassyangel05, fdfdf, AL, and Laura.  Oh, and before I forget, **Sassyangel05**, if you want to archive this one too, that'd be great.  I'm glad you like my stuff.

Well, I know that I left you in suspense last time, but I'm doing it again.  There's more closure (not much) next chapter, but the uncertainty continues the whole time.  Once again, please review!

~Cop~  

***          *          *          ***

**Soundtrack of Sorrow**

_Chapter Two:  Rude Awakenings_

Joan was having one of the strangest dreams of her life.  She must have dozed off in the car, because what was happening now definitely couldn't be possible.  The car had been near silent, except for the tapping of Adam's fingers and the murmurs of the voices on the radio.  But suddenly, all she saw was brightness, and all she heard was crashing and tearing.  Then they were tumbling, the sounds grew louder, and screamed, confused and completely at a loss of understanding for what was going on.

The next thing she knew she was laying on a bed of soft leaves and blood.  There was a slight smell of smoke on the air.  Part of her mind told her to open her eyes to see what happened, but the other wanted her to lay still and rest, for their would pass, and become naught but a memory, as all dreams did.

Eventually the enticing first idea, aided by her curiosity, won out, and Joan struggled to sit up.  It was definitely a challenge, since she felt like her entire body was broken.  She was also bleeding from several different cuts.  And no wonder.  There was a very clear path in the undergrowth where something very large had tumbled through.  As she followed this path of destruction, she came to the sudden realization that she'd never felt pain in a dream before.  Startled by this thought, she stumbled forward as quickly as her battered body would allow her to.

She made her way into a small clearing, and what she saw there made in jaw drop in shock.  On its side, up against a giant oak tree, was the remains of their car.  Or at least the back half of their car, anyway.  It was torn jaggedly, with every window broken.

How she had managed to be outside of this metal death trap, Joan wasn't sure.  The only two people in the back had been herself…and Luke.  With a gasp, Joan creeped closer to the car, afraid of what she mind find.  Luke, however, was not inside, and his door, pointing directly upwards, appeared to have been forced open.  So maybe he was alright.  Joan had no idea where Adam and Grace were, but she would have bet money that they were with the rest of the car, wherever that was.

For now, Joan had her own problem to sort out, and that was to figure out where she herself was.  After sitting down on a half-rotted log, she peered up, looking for the road, and she was dismayed when she saw nothing but trees.  She wasn't sure if they'd been hit, or had just driven off the road.  The bright light had to be related somehow, but Joan's mind was far too murky to think too much on the matter.

The pain that came with her injuries was beginning to grow, and Joan tried to assess how badly she had been hurt.  She knew that she was cut in at least half a dozen places, and that her entire body felt bruised.  Her wrist also throbbed terribly, and felt like it might be broken.  Other than that, she didn't seem to be in terrible shape.  She only hoped that she could say the same for Grace, Luke, and Adam.

Well, since those three were MIA, it seemed to be Joan's responsibility to find them.  Or maybe they were all together, and Joan was the lost one.  But if they were wouldn't they be trying to find her?  She couldn't hear them calling for her, and there were no signs of life nearby.  Unless, of course, they were in no condition to look for anyone.  They could be hurt, or even worse…

Joan tried in vain to push this dreadful thought out of her mind, and staggered to her feet, anxious to find her friends and brother, before it was too late.

*          *          *

Luke had come to with a start quite a while before his sister had woken.  He was still strapped in by his seatbelt, but this had turned into an inconvenience, as the half of the car that he was in was on its side.  After a few moments of fighting with the buckle, he finally freed himself, and hit the ground with a dull thud.  He slowly sat up and tried to comprehend he situation that he was currently in.  The front of the car was nowhere in his line of sight, and the side of the car that Joan and Adam had been sitting on was horribly smashed and mangled.  Joan's door was torn off as well, leaving Luke sitting on a carpet of grass.  There was no one else in the car, and for a brief moment Luke wondered if that meant that there was no one else alive.  He knew that they had to have flipped of the road, and was surprised by the fact that he had survived it.

Luke glasses were slight cracked, but still useable.  Strangely enough, not only had he lived through the accident, and was almost unharmed.  His face was slightly cut up from the glass of the broken window of his door, and he definitely felt sore, but was fine besides that.  All those years of wearing a seatbelt like he was supposed to had actually paid off.  His mind raced.  Had Joan been wearing *her* seatbelt?  Luke was pretty sure that the answer was no, since she had claimed it was too uncomfortable to sleep that way.  As for Adam and Grace, well…seeing as their half of the car wasn't even there, Luke had no way of knowing how they fared.

Luke stood up and pushed his door open, and then clambered up and out of the car.  The front was too twisted and jagged to attempt a climb through.  When he was out he found himself in a small meadow, all alone.  The sun's first light was peeking over the tops of the trees, signaling to him that he had been out for at least a few hours, if not a day or more.  The others had probably awoken long before him.

He paused for a moment, and listened for the voices of his friends or of his sister.  But, since he didn't hear anything, he decided it would be best to try and locate everyone himself.  Turning away from the path that the back half of the car had taken, Luke made him way into the undergrowth.  It wasn't long before he came across a small stream.  Knowing that there was a large river flowing through here somewhere, and that this stream would probably lead there, Luke began to follow it.  It would be logical for the others to make their way to water, since without it they would die before they could be found and rescued.  He walked beside the stream for quite some time, until the undergrowth became so thick and tall that Luke found it near impossible to even take a step without stumbling in it.  Sighing, he decided to revert to his only other option.

"Joan?" he called, as loudly as he could.  "Adam?  Grace?  Can anyone hear me?"  Luke hoped that his yells would bring a bear or something like that down on him.  That would most definitely be inconvenient.

He was about to yell again when he heard his sister's voice.

"Luke?  Is that you?"

The sound had come from the meadow where the car was.  Luke turned around and ran back, tripping occasionally, but then getting right back up and continuing at the same pace.

"Luke?  Did you-"Joan stopped mid-sentence as Luke entered the clearing.

Luke only had a moment to scan his sister for injuries before she had thrown her arms around him in a hug and started sobbing.

"Shh," he said, trying to comfort her, "don't worry, it's fine.  We'll – you're hurt," he stated suddenly, seeing the cuts on her face, neck, and arms.

"It's not bad," she said softly as he guided her down to sit on a nearby log, unaware that she had just been sitting there moments before.  Her cuts seemed to be shallow, but her left wrist was definitely broken.  He could also see dark bruises blossoming all over her body.

"Come on," he said, helping her to stand, "there's a stream here, so we can get you cleaned up.  We'll have to figure out something to do with your hand."

"Are you hurt?" Joan asked her brother, who shook his head.

"Seatbelt," he explained, "I told you they were good for something."

Joan nodded in understanding.  "Do you know where Grace and Adam are?"  Luke shook his head again, and Joan sighed.  "Do you think they're all right?"

For once, Luke didn't have an answer.

*          *          *

There was something wrong with the windshield.  Grace sat there, just trying to figure out what the problem was.  Adam was sitting beside her, and Grace thought about asking him if he knew what was different.

That was when she noticed that the can of Pepsi in the cup holder was dripping towards the ceiling.  She slowly tilted her head upward, or downwards, and saw water running through the car.  With a start she realized that she was upside down, and that the car was partially submerged.  She quickly undid her seat belt and landed in the water.

Grace sat perfectly still as the car rocked slightly.  It looked like they were in a river, but she couldn't be sure.

Suddenly she wondered why Adam was so quiet.  Maybe he was unconscious.  As she reached up to undo his seatbelt as well, her hand brushed against his red shirt, which was soaking wet and sticky.  It was then that Grace remembered that Adam *hadn't* been wearing red.  She gasped as she realized that the red, sticky liquid was blood, and that it was mostly focused around a dark object protruding from Adam's chest.

*TBC*


	3. Bittersweet Reunion

Here we go, chapter three.  It's a little shorter than the last one, but not by much.  

You guys don't want me to kill anyone?  Gosh, you should have mentioned that before.  Just kidding, don't worry.  

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far.  You guys truly rock.  I won't get the next chapter out as quickly as I have these three, but it will more than likely be up by this weekend.  I plan on that, anyway.  I'll try to not get grounded before then, just for you guys.

I don't have very much medical knowledge, so don't take anything I say here as advice.  Not like anyone would or anything, but I just want to be careful.  Anything medical-like came from is a very useful site if you ask me.  If anyone is out of character here, I'm really sorry.  I didn't better with that in the next two chapters, for sure.

Well, that's all I have to say.  Please review.

~Cop~

*          *          *          *

**Soundtrack of Sorrow**

_Chapter Three:  Bittersweet __Reunion___

After determining that Joan's cuts weren't too serious, Luke and his sister tried to decide the best course of action.  He wasn't sure about what to do with Joan's wrist, so they wrapped it up with strips of a blanket Luke had found in the back half of the Trailblazer.  They had searched for their suitcases, and for their cooler, but to no avail.

The only thing left for them to do was to find Grace and Adam.  Once they were all together they could figure out how to get away from this place.  Plus, maybe one of them knew how to set a broken bone.

"So." Joan said as they followed the small stream, "What happened?"

"We crashed," Luke said, not looking back.

"I know that," Joan said, exasperated, "but how'd we pull that off?"

"I don't know," Luke said, "Adam was driving.  He'll tell us."

Joan was silent for a few moments.  "Do you think that they.you know."

Luke wasn't sure about how to answer that question.  "I don't know.  I mean, they could have survived it, but.we don't even know what happened to their half of the car.  It might have stayed up on the road for all we know."

"Or maybe not," Joan said with a gasp.  They had come to a break in the trees, and suddenly the river had come into view.  They both gaped at the object that was so clearly out of place in this scene.  Flipped over, right in the middle of the rushing waters, was the missing front half of the Trailblazer.  As it had been with the back half, all of the windows were smashed in, and the driver's side was crushed beyond recognition.  It seemed to be washed up against a large rock that was jutting up, and water filled it up past the windows.  But the worst sight of all was what was covering the shards of glass in the windshield, and the steering wheel.

"Blood." Luke whispered.  But it was still loud enough for Joan to hear him, and she gasped softly as the sight registered in her mind as well.  

"Do you think they're in there?" Joan asked tentatively.  Luke peered at the wreckage, but from his vantage point he couldn't see anyone, either alive or dead.

"I'm not sure," Luke said slowly.  "Should we go check?"

"Yeah, probably," Joan said dazedly, eyes never moving.  When she didn't stir from her spot, Luke spoke up again.

"So you're too nervous to find out, too?"

"Yep."

"Well-"

Luke's statement was cut off by a shout form someone further down the river bank.

"Finally!  I thought I'd actually have to go and look for you two."

Both of the Girardi's turned to see Grace Polk standing a few yards away.  Both ran up to her, thankful she wasn't trapped in the wreckage.

"Are you hurt?"  Luke asked, looking her over.

"Not really," Grace said.  "I'm wet, though," she added thoughtfully.

"Have you found Adam?" Joan questioned, watching Grace's face intently.

Grace frowned and seemed hesitant to speak.  After a few moments of silence, she worked up the courage to get out her statement.

"Yeah, I found him," she said slowly.  "But.he's."

"He's what?" Joan demanded, obviously worried about what kind of answer she would receive.

"He isn't doing too well," Grace explained cautiously.  Joan's face fell.

"Where is he?"

Grace sighed.  "I'll show you."  She led the pair around a group of rocks, and into a small cave that was about ten by fourteen feet in area, and six or seven feet tall.  She showed them the unconscious Adam, whom she had propped up against the back wall.  He was deathly pale, and his shirt had been removed, revealing a deep wound, whose blood flow was being staunched with a towel.

Joan dropped to her knees beside him and placed a trembling hand on his face.  A terrible realization was dawning on Luke as he came to understand that the blood they had seen had been Adam's.

"How...What happened?" Luke managed to choke out.  Grace looked at him sadly.

"I had to pull a windshield wiper out of him," she explained.  Luke stared at her.

"A *what*?"

"A windshield wiper.  You know, the things that-"

"I know what they're for," Luke huffed, "but it was.in.him?"

"Well, didn't I just tell you that I pulled it out?" Grace asked him, shaking her head.

"Just stop it," Joan said suddenly.  "Things are already bad enough, do we need you two arguing?"

Luke sighed, and then knelt down by Joan and studied Adam as well.  He was cut up pretty badly, not counting the wound on his chest, which was bleeding freely, and his breathing was shallow and uneven.  Of course having something piercing your chest could easily cause internal damage, so it was entirely possible that one of Adam's lungs had been punctured.  He decided it would be wisest to not mention this to Joan, since she was already so upset, and it wasn't like they could do anything about it anyway.

Joan put her good hand on the towel that was quickly turning red with blood.

"Aren't we supposed to put pressure on it or something?"  She asked, not looking up from Adam's face.

"That'll help stop the bleeding," Luke commented, nodding his approval of the idea.  He watched as Joan firmly pressed her hand down over the towel.  Adam didn't stir.

"What'd you do to your wrist, Girardi?"  Grace asked suddenly, noticing Joan's makeshift bandage for the first time.  Joan glanced up at her for a second.

"Luke says it's broken."

Grace turned her attention to Luke.  "Did you set it?"

"Uhm.no," Luke said, stumbling over his words.  "I didn't want to make it any worse, so."

"You hoped that I could do it?"

Luke nodded, and Grace sighed.

"It won't heal right if it isn't set.  I really don't want to do this, but."

They ended up finding a few relatively straight sticks, which Grace padded with blankets, and tore another strip off of the blanket to hold the splint in place.  Joan had reluctantly left Adam's side, and was now sitting on a rock by the opening of the cave.  Luke had taken her previous spot.

"This *will* hurt," Grace warned her friend as she took the swollen hand in her own.  Joan didn't answer, just glanced over to where Adam was resting.

Once Grace had actually started, Joan had to struggle to hold back a scream.  Even though her eyes were shut tightly, she could still hear and feel the bones shift.  Grace worked as quickly as she could, but that didn't make it any less excruciating.  When the sticks were in place, and the hand was wrapped tightly, both girls were nearly as pale as Adam.

Grace ran a shaking hand through her hair.  "I'm sorry about that.but.I mean, I had to, or else.."

Joan merely nodded, too shaken to do anything more.

*TBC*


	4. Worries and Wonderings

Okay, okay. I know I said that I wasn't going to update until the weekend.  And I wasn't, really truly.  But then people were reviewing, and I felt bad that they didn't know what happened, and I felt REALLY bad about what I've done to Adam, and what I haven't done to him yet but will do in the somewhat near or distant future.  Of course, now there will really be a delay-ish type thing before the next chapter, since I won't post anything unless I already have at least the next chapter typed.  Chapter five is typed, but I haven't even finished writing chapter six yet.

Right now I want to thank everyone who has reviewed so far.  And the lucky winners are (*clears throat*):  LyssaBoot, crazy steph, Allie, Sassyangel05, fdfdf, Admiral Lily, Laura, fgfggf, hgill, Jessica14, eclectic, and Moonlit-Jeannie.  Thanks so much for your feedback and support.  

I see that many people are against the idea of me killing Adam off.  Even though I must admit that the idea is really tempting, since I have a tendency to kill the hot guys (twisted, huh?), I have to say that I haven't officially decided exactly what I'm going to do with Master Rove yet.  I suppose I might partially base my decision on what you guys think.  Of course, you could beg and plead with me to spare his life, and I could just laugh in your face and kill him anyways, but even I'm not that spiteful.  Well, not very often anyway.  It also depends on what kind of mood I'm in when I actually get to that part.  Like, if I'm really mad at him for the whole situation with that Iris rhymes-with-witch, I could always just be like, 'oh, you picked the wrong girl, now DIE'.  I don't really know yet, though.  

In other words, the fate of Adam has not yet been determined.  It will be when that time arrives.  See, now you guys know nothing more than I do about what's going to happen to him?  Nice, isn't it?  Or that could be unsettling, since I am the author after all.  

Perhaps I  should stop rambling now.  Yeah, twould be a good idea.  

*        *        *        *

**Soundtrack of Sorrow**

_Chapter Four:  Worries and Wonderings_

The three conscious castaways had no clue about what to do.  They were lost in a forest, with no idea of how to get back home.  Their only means of transportation was split in two, with half of it partially underwater.  To top it all off, the fourth member of their happy little group was propped up against a rock wall, bleeding to death.

Joan was by Adam's side once again, her right hand pressing down on the towel covering his wound.  Luke sat on the ground, watching his sister, and Grace was perched on the rock where Joan had been seated moments before, staring out at the Trailblazer.

"Well. . ." Grace said, breaking the silence that had fallen over the group.

"Well what?" Luke asked, turning his gaze to where she was sitting.

"What are we going to do?" Grace asked, sighing.

"I don't know," Luke responded with a shrug.

Grace cocked her head sideways.  "I thought you were the smart one."

Luke was quiet for a moment, trying to think.  "We can't go anywhere," he said finally, "since we can't move Adam.  We don't want him to bleed any more than he already is."  Grace nodded, and he went on.  "But we can't just wait here, because we don't know how long it'll take for us to be found.  So maybe I could try to find the road again, or you could, and-"

"No," Joan stated firmly, looking over at him.  "We can't split up."

"But-"

"We have to stay together," Joan said, "it's not safe to send someone off by themselves, so you two would end up going, and I don't want to stay here by myself with Adam.  What if he gets worse?  Besides, what if help *does* come, and we can't find you two?"

Luke didn't have an argument for that, and from the look on her face, he guessed that Grace didn't, either.

"Alright," Luke said, sighing, "We scratch that idea.  But we need a plan."

"What about a signal fire?" Joan suggested.

Grace stared at her incredulously.  "And burn the whole place down?  Am I the only one who's noticed that we're surrounded by trees?  And when I say trees, I mean trees, as in wood."

"Well, wouldn't people notice a fire?" Joan questioned.

"I think your sister's delirious," Grace said to Luke.  "Are you sure that she didn't hit her head?"

"She could have," Luke said, suddenly worried, "You don't think-"

"It was just a suggestion!" Joan exclaimed.  "You wanted a plan, and I was trying to be helpful.  I am *not* delirious."

"Okay then," Luke said, clapping his hands, "we make a new plan, then."

"We have shelter, so that's one less thing to worry about," Grace stated.  Luke glanced around uneasily.

"Yeah, but are you sure that this place is safe?" he asked.  "What if a bear lives here?  We're already in bad enough shape, so we don't need to go up against any wild animals.  I mean, look at Adam.  He's already gotten into a fight with a windshield wiper and lost."

"Exactly," Grace said, "so what we really don't need is for him to get any worse."  She crossed her arms and stared at Luke.  "Besides, what are you afraid of, anyway?  The Jersey Devil?"

"Of course not."

"So let's just get back to this plan of yours."

Luke nodded.  "We'll probably need a fire-"

"Wait," Joan cut in, "I thought you said that was a bad idea."

"A signal fire is a bad idea," Luke explained.  "I'm talking about a smaller one.  You know, so we can stay warm."

"And how are we going to start it?"  Joan asked.

"There's a lighter in the glove compartment," Grace supplied, pointing towards the remains of the Trailblazer.  "Well, at least there *was* a lighter in there.  The whole off-road adventure thing could have misplaced it."

"We should check for it, at least," Luke said, scanning around for any small branches to burn.

"I'm not going back into the water," Grace said, shaking her head.  "I already had to drag Adam through it.  You try pulling a person through a river, with shoes on."

"Who's going, then?"  Luke asked, confused, "you're not going, Joan can't go, and Adam definitely can't go, so that only leaves. . ."

"You," Grace said, getting up and dragging him towards the river, "be careful, that water is deep."

"But-"

"It was your idea," Grace pointed out.

Luke sighed, and kicked off his shoes.  He turned back to Grace.  "If I drown, it's your fault."

"Go," came Grace's reply.  Luke sighed once again, and swam out into the icy water.

*        *        *

Grace watched Luke's progress from the bank of the river.  She had known that she wouldn't have been able to complete the swim herself.  She had barely made it to shore last time.  Shivering slightly, she tried to forget finding Adam in the car, and pulling that thing out of his chest, and all of the blood that she had feebly tried to stop with a towel, and then that terrible, long swim, just trying to keep both of their heads out of the water.  Then they had reached land, and there was still so much blood, and she had tried to wake him up, but he hadn't responded to her desperate threats or pleadings.  Grace had been overjoyed when she discovered the cave, and dragged Adam into it, but he was still out, and still bleeding.  After she had pulled off his shirt she had almost regretted it, because it all seemed so much worse when she could actually see the wound.  Once again she turned back to towel, but it didn't do much as far as stemming the blood flow was concerned.

Grace quickly peered back into the cave, where Joan was sitting by Adam's side, tending to him to the best of her ability.  Joan had barely spoken since seeing Adam, and Grace wondered if she was in shock.  It wouldn't surprise her.  Grace was continuously shaking, and it wasn't just from the cold.

She glanced back to Luke and saw that he was already almost back to the shore.  Within moments he was standing beside her, soaking wet and clutching a small plastic baggie.

"I found the lighter," he said triumphantly, holding up the back, "plus a roadmap, and a packet of popcorn."

"Popcorn?" Grace asked him skeptically.  "What are we going to do with it?"

"Eat it."

"How?"

"Well, you have to pop it first.  And. . .oh. . ."

"Yeah."

Luke shrugged.  "But I do have the lighter.  I'm not sure how it got in there, though. . ."

"Who cares?" Grace asked, snatching it from him.  "We can start a fire now."  They headed back into the cave, and Grace sat down on the other side of Adam, across form Joan.

"Is he any worse?" she asked.  Joan looked up at her with a sad expression.

"Not really," she said, "but he has a fever.  It's not too bad yet, but it could get worse, and. . ."

Grace nodded, and felt Adam's forehead with the back of her hand.  It was a little warm, but there were other things to worry about for now, most importantly all of the blood he was loosing.

"How can we help him?" Joan asked, fear obvious in her voice.

"I don't know," Grace responded truthfully.  "I don't think we really can.  What we need to do is get him somewhere that he can get help.  The most we can do right now is keep him still, and get the place warmed up."

Joan had returned his gaze to Adam's face, but now looked up in surprise.  "Luke found the lighter?"

"Yes, he did.  And I swam through a raging current to get it," Luke called from the mouth of the cave.  "Now I've even braved the wild to gather firewood."

Grace rolled her eyes.  "You're full of it, aren't you?"  Still, she got up and helped Luke to get a fire going.  After ten minutes they got a small blaze going, and slowly fed it to make it larger.  When it was burning brightly all three stood around it, warming their hands.

"I feel like we're cavemen," Joan said sarcastically, "creating fire for the first time."

"At least we're warm cavemen," Luke commented.  There was a bit of nervous laughter, but the main thing on their minds was the hope that help would come soon.

*TBC*

*        *        *        *

Okay, about the Jersey Devil thing, I had to stick that in there.  I will give cookies to anyone who actually knows what TV show that's from.

Please review!

~Cop~


	5. Ray of Sunshine

Before I say anything else, I must give cookies to Ana and Innogen.  They were the only two that knew that I was talking about 'The X-Files' (Season one, episode…oh…about five, I believe).  *Gives cookies to those two people* You know, my mom thought it was awesome that I mentioned the X-Files in my story.  She doesn't usually have much interest in my stories, so it was nice to get compliments from her.  She's about as obsessed with X-Files as I am with JOA and LOTR, and she's been making me and all three of my little sisters watch the entire series from season one onward.  I really like it so far, even though I've only seen a little bit of the first season, and a few random episodes after that. To those of you that knew it was an old legend, you were right, too, but I asked for the show, so I must deny you cookies.

Wow, I rambled for a long time.  Sorry that I didn't get to update when I planned to, but I do have an excuse, and that it that I was grounded (rather unfairly, might I add).  So, yeah, that's my story, but I'm here now, so…yay rah and stuff.  I don't like this chapter a whole lot, but I needed to post something, and I *think* the next one is a little better.  Or at least I hope so.  I definitely like the one after that, though.  But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Instead, I will talk about 'Night Without Stars' for a bit.  I am very angry now, because I want so desperately to hate Iris, but I can't.  The only thing I have against her right now is that her voice makes me want to hurt myself.  Hurt myself badly.   I would be mad at her for hanging all over Adam, but technically that's Joan's fault, because she should have hooked up with Adam right after 'Jump'.  But, no, the silly girl didn't.  Now just look at the mess she's in.  Ah well, I will find a way to hate Iris yet.  

Uhm…back to the story.  Not only do I not favor this chapter greatly, it's also a bit shorter than I wanted it to be.  Plus, there's not a lot that happens.  There's a whole lot of dialogue, so if you like that, then I suppose you might be pleased.  

I've decided to respond to the reviews from last chapter.  If you reviewed before that, you still rock, but it would take way too long to respond to everything.

Moonlit-Jeannie:  He doesn't?  *Jumps for joy* Oh, great joyousness is to be had.  My mom read scripts, too, but I didn't want to read them, and she won't tell me how long Iris sticks around.  Ah well.  I suppose I'll just have to wait and see.  As for not killing Adam…I am slightly angry with him, and if I don't kill him, I'm at least not making things any more fun for him.

writer-always-n-forever:  You like the title?  Thanks.  I must say that I was rather proud of it myself.  You know, I've actually thought about putting Adam in a coma.  I haven't come to a final decision about it, though.

LyssaBoot:  Yeah, I'm really angry about Iris.  Maybe not at her, but about her.  And I'm pretty sure about what I'm going to do with Adam, but I can assure you that he's not going to enjoy this little trip, even as much as I love him.

Ana:  Yeah, I know, a lot didn't happen last chapter, or this chapter, or the next.  Well, some really important stuff happens, but it's not action-packed or anything.  Believe me, I'm working on it.  And I'm glad that you liked what I did with Grace.  Once again, felicitations for getting the X-Files thing right.  Those cookies were well earned.

hgill:  I love mentioning my wonderful reviewers!  'URGH' is an awesome description for this Iris thing.  I'll be sure to tell my sister about it.  I think she'll find it useful as well.  Playing God is so gloriously fun.  I have killed my favorite characters before, in 'Choices That Haunt Her'.  Tis a 'Pirates of the Caribbean' fic.  I'm almost positive about whether or not I'm killing Adam, but alas for you readers, you won't know till that comes up.  

Jessica14:  Sorry, but no cookies.  Maybe I'll ask something else later on, and you might get cookies then.  Thanks for you review.

Innogen:  I loved 'The Jersey Devil'.  It's my second favorite episode of the first season, out of what I've seen so far ('Squeeze' is my favorite).  And you brought up a very good point:  the cell phones.  I actually do cover that point, just not yet.  What I can say now is that they don't have any cell phones with them.  They didn't disappear; they're just…conveniently misplaced.

Allie:  I'm so glad that you like this story!  I think I get what you meant, and if I do kill him, I'll try my best to do him justice.  Now it's my turn to ask if that makes sense.

Wiccan-One14:  Yay, you like my story!  Thanks for reviewing.

Lauren:  Yeah, I've heard about the legend as well.  I'm glad you like the story so far.

Miss Chievous aka La Gioconda:  I'm definitely working on that.  I've never been in a situation like this (luckily), so I'm doing the best I can.  I'll try really hard to make it a more realistic.  I'm glad you still like it, though.

Okay, I'm done with that.  Sorry it took so long.  So now I present chapter five.

~Cop~

*          *          *          *

**Soundtrack of Sorrow**

_Chapter Five:  Ray of Sunshine_

"Is that a-"

"I don't know.  Maybe."

"Well, is it ours?"

"No, of course not.  I'm sure plenty of people around here float their coolers down this river."

"Fine then, Grace.  But you don't have to be so mean."

Luke had remained silent during this entire exchange, but it seemed time to speak up.

"Who's going to get it?" he asked, then paused.  "Wait, never mind.  Stupid question."

Five minutes later Luke was dragging a navy blue cooler on to the river bank.  Grace stood alone on the shoreline, since Joan had gone back into the cave to sit with Adam.

"I'm going to start charging you two every time you make me go out there," Luke grumbled, attempting to shake himself off.

"What's in there?" Grace asked, indicating the cooler.

Luke crouched down and opened the lid.  "Ice water," he reported, looking up, "and some Pepsis, grapes, bread, cheese, plastic cups, Doritos-"

"Why are Doritos in the cooler?" Grace asked suddenly.

"Probably the same reason there are Triscuits in it," Luke stated, pulling out a very wet cardboard box.

"Alright," Grace said, shaking her head, "so not only do we never let Rove drive at night again, we don't let him pack coolers, either."

"Seems to be that way," Luke commented.  "Oh, and there are some water bottles down here, under the bread."

"So we've got some food, and water," Grace stated, ticking the two off on her fingers.  "But how long will we be stuck out here?"

"I have no idea," Luke said, putting the food, with the exception of the Triscuits, back in the cooler, and standing up.  "Come on, let's drag this all inside."

They did just that, and Luke told his sister what they had found.

"What we don't know is how long it's going to last us," Grace explained once Luke had finished.  "We don't even know what day it is."

"We crashed last night," Joan stated, "and it's almost nine in the morning."  Both Grace and Luke looked at her in surprise, so she continued.  "Adam's watch has the date and all that on it.  And it's waterproof."  The answer seemed to satisfy both of them.

"Nobody will look for us right away," Luke said slowly.  "We left yesterday night, and we hadn't planned on leaving until tonight.  Plus, we were going to stop at a motel.  So that puts us at tomorrow morning, and they'll probably blame our being late on traffic, at least for a while."

Joan shook her head.  "But we had told our parents that we could end up staying a day longer, and that we'd probably do a little sight-seeing on the way back."

"Which would have taken until the night of the day after tomorrow," Luke added.  "And Mom and Dad would expect us to spend the night somewhere again."

"Three days," Grace said, sighing.  "Nobody will know that we're missing for three days."

"A lot can happen in that sort of time," Luke pointed out.

"How much could someone bleed over three days?" Joan asked worriedly.

Grace looked at Adam sadly.  "Too much."

*        *        *

It started to rain about two hours later.  The little group sat around silently, lost in their own thoughts.  Occasionally Luke would get up and restack the wood that they had piled up to feed the fire with when it burned too low.  Grace was once again perched on the rock near the mouth of the cave, watching the car that was still flipped over in the river.  Joan was leaning against the back wall, but had long since dozed off.  Finally there was Adam, in the exact spot where Grace had placed him hours before.

"That thing is our ticket out of here," Grace said, breaking the silence.

Luke stared at her, confused.  "What?  You mean the car?"

"Yes, I do."

Luke was even more puzzled.  "Uhm. . . Grace?  I don't think it'll run.  I mean, it's not even all there.  Plus, it's flipped over, in the water."

"That's not what I'm talking about," she explained, "if you saw half of a car in the middle of a river, what would you do?"

"I'd call someone," Luke said without hesitation.  "But you can't see the river from up there on the road."

"When people figure out that we're missing, they'll go out in their little helicopters," Grace told him, "and from the air, I'd be willing to bet that they'd notice that car."

"Would they be able to fly in this sort of weather?" Luke questioned.

"We just have to hope that it doesn't storm for the next three days," Grace said, shrugging.

Luke nodded, knowing that there was nothing more that they could do.

*        *        *

Another two hours ticked away, and the idea of lunch was considered.  Joan had woken up, and she, Luke, and Grace each made a cheese sandwich.

"I wonder," Joan mused, "if we died out here, do you think anyone would ever find our bodies?"

Grace swallowed, and then glared at her angrily.  "Well, aren't you quite the little ray of sunshine?  Thanks for brightening my day, Girardi."

"I was only asking a question," Joan said defensively.

"Why don't you just hold off on any other question that you have, then?" Grace suggested bitterly.

Joan huffed and remained silent for a moment, but obviously wanted to say more.  Finally, that desire won out.

"Does this feel like 'Survivor' to you?" she asked.

Grace laughed, but it was completely devoid of any humor.  "I can see it now.  The new hit reality TV show:  Four friends are stranded in a forest; one is slowly bleeding to death, one has a broken bone, one seems to think that he's smarter than everyone else, and the last one is severely ticked off by the rest of them."

Luke looked thoughtful.  "You know what the sad thing is?  I'd actually watch that."

"I thought you hated reality TV," Joan said, glancing over at her brother.

"Yeah, and can't you guess what happens?" Grace added.

"One of them continues slowly bleeding to death, one of them is stuck with a broken bone, one still seems to think he's smarter than everyone else, and the last is even more ticked off by the rest of them?" Joan guessed.

"Bingo," Grace said sarcastically, twirling a stick in her hand, "tell her what she's won."

"Half of a new car," Luke muttered.

*TBC*


	6. Song of Rainfall

OMG, I am so sorry about the lack of updating-ness.  I really am.  It's just that I'm insanely busy during the week, so I can't type, and I only get a chance to type stuff in the mornings on the weekends, but since my sister has soccer games every weekend, I haven't gotten to do it then, either.  To top it all off, I've been sick the past few days, and haven't even been on the computer until now.  Happily, I am much better, and can get this posted.

Moving along then…This is another chapter that I don't favor greatly, but tis REALLY important.  Like, so uber important that it's really…important.  Yeah.  

I'm going to go ahead and get off track now.  I am really happy, because I just read that Amber Tamblyn is going to be in the movie version of 'The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants', one of my favorite books of all time.  I'm really looking forward to it, since I think that Amber will do a really good job.  I just wonder who she's going to play.  If anyone knows any details, please tell me.

Oh, I thought of something else to say about this chapter in particular.   In the very first part of it, we go back up to the semi on the road.  I don't actually know what happens with the official people at a crash site like that, so I had to wing it.  I did the best I could with it.

As for the disclaimer, I don't own anyone except for officer Leo Parks and EMT Laurie Roberts.  I named Laurie off of some aunt of mine that's an EMT.  Also, there is one kind of swear word in the chapter.  It's not really even that bad, but if the idea bothers you for some reason, then skips the very last sentence of the chapter.  But this story is PG-13, so I think I'm covered as far as rating goes.  I just want to be careful, because I know people that are really offended by any type of cursing.

One last thing before I respond to the reviews:  I am in need of reader participation.  I'm sure you all remember the road that the fantastic foursome was driving on in the first chapter, right before their little mishap.  And since every road I know of has a name, I figured that this road needs one, too.  The only problem is, all the names I think of suck.  So I need you wonderful reviewers to suggest names for the road.  Sure, it's not the most fun thing in the world, but hey, at least you get to name something, and I can quit worrying about what to call it.  So, if you're kind enough to review, please leave a suggestion, and the name will be revealed within the span of a few chapters.

Now for review responses:

Wiccan-One14:  Yay!  Thanks for the review.  I'm sorry that I didn't get this up sooner.

hgill:  Like I said before, mentioning reviewers is my pleasure.  I'm really glad you like this!

Innogen:  Well, my mom doesn't seem to think that she's old, and she's watched X-Files from the beginning.  Uhm…about having God come and talk to Joan…I'm not going to have that happen at all in here, like, at all.  At least not that I'm planning on, anyway.  And the reason for that is I don't think that Joan is *actually* talking to God.  Personally, I think she's crazy.  But that's okay with me, since the show's still really good.  I know the reason I think that is because of my own personal beliefs, but…I don't know.  I did make the characters unusually lucky in certain situations, and I suppose that could be interpreted in other ways, if the reader wanted to think that way.  Anyway, that's just how things are gonna work with this story.  If you don't like it, or disagree, that's perfectly fine.  Moving on, thanks for reviewing.

AL:  Yay, you can have cookies, too!  *Gives you cookies* Hooray for getting things right!  Oh, and about the other shows that it's been mentioned on, I just haven't seen them.  I don't watch a lot of TV, so that could be the reason.

Jessica 14:  Man, that puppy dog face can be rather convincing, but my mind is made up.  You'll just have to wait and see what happens. Thanks for your review, and for mentioning the "half of a new car" thing.  I was so very proud of that line.

writer-always-n-forever:  Yum!  Cookies!  And compliments!  Your review made me so happy when I read it.  Yay for verbal irony and having people in character!  I'm really glad I pulled that off, since I have more trouble with it than anything else.  Well, maybe I have more trouble with spelling, but there's spell check for that.  They need a 'keeping borrowed fictional characters in character' checker.  That would make life easier.

Allie:  I'm always very proud when what I say makes sense.  I confuse people a lot, especially myself.  And I get what you said about the content, not the writing, being boring.  I found it boring as well, but I needed it to happen.  I know chapter seven is a lot better than five and six are.

FutureBestActressWinner:  Sorry about the wait.  I hope you like this chapter.

Okay then, I'll finally done with that.  I suppose you can read the chapter now.  Of course, you probably just skimmed this all and just went ahead to the chapter.  I bet no one is even reading this.  Maybe I should stop typing it then, since it's just a waste of time and space.  Yeah, I'll do just that.  Right now.  Really.  I mean it.  I'm stop right –

*        *        *        *

**Soundtrack of Sorrow**

_Chapter Six:  Song of Rainfall_

In the early morning hours, just after the crash, blue and red lights flashed along the cliff-side road.  A police officer, who had just so happened to be driving along, had found a semi truck.  The driver had seemingly lost control, and had barely stopped in time to avoid violently careening down the wooded slope.  The driver had bashed his head rather forcefully against the dashboard, and was now far from conscious.  

Leo Parks, the officer who had found the vehicle, stood beside EMT Laurie Roberts.  The sun was just rising, casting a pale light over everything in view.

"The head injury is massive," Laurie explained quickly, "and it's surprising that it wasn't fatal.  Still, he won't be waking up for a while."

"What was the cause of the accident?" Leo asked, scanning the scene for any possible indicators.

"We don't know," Laurie responded, "we'll see if he's got anything running through his system that shouldn't be there.  Other than that, the choices are narrowed down a bit.  He might have seen an animal for all we know."

"We can't be sure unless he wakes up and can tell us," Leo said, sighing impatiently.  He knew that his wife would be upset, since he'd been coming home later and later every day, which she hated.  All he could know was to fill out the report as quickly as possible so that he could get home.  

*        *        *

The first day out in the wilderness passed in a tortuously slow manner.  Joan and Luke both slept on and off, Adam showed no signs of waking whatsoever, and Grace sat watching the unending torrent of rain.  The day grew steadily darker, with only the red-orange flames of the fire providing light.  A little after the sun would have set, had it even been out, the lightning started, and rolling thunder came with it.

At the first violent rumbling, anyone who had been sleeping was woken, excluding Adam.  

"What was that?" Joan asked groggily.

"A storm," Grace replied, "and it's a bad one, too.  With the lightning we might get your signal fire after all."

Even as she spoke, another brilliant flash lit up the sky, creating a brief but eerie glow.  For that moment the Trailblazer could be seen, rocking slightly, seemingly in an attempt to break away.

"How long will this keep up?" Luke asked, peering outside, trying to see past the veil of rain.

"It doesn't seem to be dying down at all," Grace commented with a sigh.

"Well, at least we won't get wet in here," Joan stated, trying to look on the bright side of things.  Still, it didn't do much to ease the general mood of despair.

*        *        *

The rain had let up by the time that the second morning rolled around.  Water had soaked into the ground, making the area around their cave overly muddy.  The front half of the Trailblazer remained in the river, an ugly reminder of just why they were in their current predicament.

What they weren't expecting was the duffle bag hanging from the highest branches of an ash tree that towered above their heads.

Since Grace and Luke were the only two capable of making the climb, but neither one actually wanted to, Joan supervised a quick matched of rock, paper, scissors.  Grace's scissors triumphed over Luke's paper, so he was forced to attempt to scramble up the tree.

Joan found the situation rather humorous.  Grace was on the ground, shouting at Luke, who was desperately trying to keep his balance, but not being very successful.

"Now grab the branch to your left," Grace called.  She watched for a moment, and then sighed.  "No, Luke, your other left."

After ten minutes, Luke as finally able to knock the bag to the ground, and make his way down as well.  Grace brought the bag into the cave and set it down.

"Who packed this one?" Luke asked as he entered.

"Me," Joan responded.  "I shoved a couple of blankets in here.  Maybe a pillow, too."

She unzipped it, and, just as she had thought, there was one pillow and four blankets crammed inside.  Miraculously, they were barely even damp.  They decided to let Adam have the pillow, and tried to discern the best method for getting and behind him, and cause the least amount of pain possible.

In the end, they decided to lay him down a bit more, but still keep him propped up enough to let him breathe easily.  Joan leaned him slightly forward, Grace put the pillow in place, and both girls eased him gently downwards.

Adam stirred for the first time in a day when his head touched the pillow.  For a few moments that seemed to last an eternity, no one dared to move, or even make a sound, waiting to see it he was waking up at last.  However, he made no other indications of consciousness.  

"Will it be better when he's awake?" Joan asked quietly.  Grace shook her head.

"Not really," she stated.  "I mean, we won't have to worry about him as much if he's awake, but there's a definite downside.  Right now he's not aware enough to realize much pain, but he'll feel it for sure once he comes to.  But we can't do much to help him either way."

"I don't think he's bleeding as much now," Joan stated, placing a hand on Adam's forehead, "and his fever hasn't gotten much worse."

"Still, Joan," Luke said gently, "it's not looking too good for him right now."  Grace nodded sadly, understanding the awful truth that the odds were in favor of Adam never waking up again.

Joan looked up at her brother with tears in her eyes.  "But…he might make it, right?  Maybe?"

"He won't if we don't get out of here soon," Luke told her.  Joan sniffed and turned her gaze back to Adam's pale face, and covered him with one of the blankets.

Grace pulled the blankets apart, and was surprised when a small, grey object tumbled to the ground.  She abandoned the blankets and snatched it up.

"What'd you find?" Luke asked as Grace set the object down on a rock.

"A radio," Grace explained, "and if it works, we can at least find out if anyone's looking for us."  She switched it one, and tried to reach a station that wasn't pure static.

"How's that going to tell us if we're being searched for?"  Luke questioned.

Grace sighed impatiently.  "Don't you think that a car flipping off of a road might make the hourly news bulletin?  We can at least get a feel for what's going on."

"I see," Luke said, nodding.  Finally, after a few moments of struggling with the knobs, Grace got the radio tuned in to the only available station.

"Country?" Joan asked, looking over to where Grace was proudly admiring the small radio.

"It's that or another night of being serenaded by the crickets," Grace stated coolly.

They passed a few hours listening to the music, but none of the newscasts mentioned a car that had flipped off the road, or its four missing occupants.

Everyone jumped with a state when Adam groaned and shifted slightly.  Suddenly, his eyes fluttered open.  He looked around, dazed and confused, and tried to sit up, but hissed in pain at the attempt.  Joan forced him back down quickly, while still being as gentle as she could.

"Jane?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.  "Wh-what happened?  Where are we?"

Joan didn't answer, but Grace smiled at him grimly.  "Welcome to the camping trip from Hell."  

*        *        *        *

Ta-da!  I woke him up!  He may not be fixed, but at least he's awake.

I suppose that means I should update soon.  I'll get to it ASAP, but in the meantime, go and check out my completely re-done bio.  Until the next chapter!

~Cop~


	7. Dark Dreams

Wow, I am really sorry about the lack of updates, especially after the end of the last chapter.  Well, here I am, with a new chapter for your enjoyment.  Or at least, I hope you'll enjoy it.  

I have been in such a good mood since DTM.  I was literally jumping around the house at the end of it, yelling nonsense words.  Oh, and "Death to Iris".  I think I said that a few times, too.  

Overall, people seem to be glad that I woke Adam up.  Maybe I should injure good-looking characters, leave them unconscious for almost six chapters, and then wake them up suddenly more often.  Heh.  I actually like this chapter, and I think it makes up for the lack of authoress-liking-the-chapter-ness that there's been for the past two chapters.  Plus, we get Adam's POV for the first time since chapter one.  Hoorah!

Uhm…that's all I think I'll say, since I don't want to waste too much of your time.  So…review responses then.  Yay for reaching 50 reviews!  Cookies for everyone!  *Tosses cookies to the peasant masses*

hgill:  YES!!!  I wanted her to be Tibby!  So now my favorite actress is going to play my favorite character in one of my favorite books!  Yay rah and stuff!  Thanks for the review!

AL:  I think without any humor, sadder stories would be just too depressing, so I love it as well.  

Allie:  Thanks!  As for Luke being the go-for, the way I see it, that's what guys are for.  Unless they're like Orlando Bloom, then all they need to do is sit there and look good.  A pet's name? Hmm…that might work.

Wiccan-One14:  I loved mixed blessings.  They're fun to write about.  That way, it's not all good, but not all bad, either.

HandsOff:  Well, I can think of lots of reasons for there to be much joyousness to be had, but if you're asking about what I *think* you're asking about, and then there is much joyousness because Adam doesn't stay with Iris.  I could be wrong about what you want to know, though, so if I am, please tell me, and I'll give you the answer to your real question.  Anyhoo, that's for the review!

LyssaBoot:  Yes, I have returned from my great odyssey.  I'm very proud of myself for waking Adam up as well, since I was tempted to kill him at the end of that chapter.  But it's all okay, because I didn't.  Now, that doesn't mean I won't kill him later…BWA HA HA HA HA HA HA…*cough* Sorry.

EmmyMik:  Yay for the review!  I'm glad you like the suspense.  About any God appearances, although Radio God is a very good idea, there won't be any of His appearances in this story.  So, if you're looking specifically for a story with God in it, this isn't one.  Still, I think it does pretty well without Him.  Oh, and I really liked you idea for a road name.  I'll decide which one I'll use in a few chapters.

Writer-always-and-forever:  Oh, but you have to update!  I love "Blessings Disguise."  Have I reviewed it, though?  I think not.  Well, I will, eventually.  Oh, but you read my chapter instead.  I see.  Well, that's okay then.  And, yeah, there is a bit of fluffy-ness to come.  Angst-fluff, though.  I like angst-fluff better than regular fluff.  I like your whole 'foreshadowing by merely naming a road' idea a lot.  Thanks for the review!

Jessica14:  That line is right up there with my favorite from this story.  Thank you for reviewing!  

RoswellianKitten:  You're my 50th review!  And for that, you get an extra cookie.  *Gives you another cookie, and throws confetti* 

**DISCLAIMER**:  I own nothing.  Not even the Tivo that I record JOA with.  *sniffles* Oh, and please don't lynch me if people seem too OOC.  I think the Girardi parents might be a little bit.  Sorry in advance.

*        *        *        *

**Soundtrack of Sorrow**

_Chapter Seven:  Dark Dreams_

Adam hadn't felt this terrible for a long time.  In fact, he couldn't think of any times when he'd even been remotely close to being in so much pain.  He ached all over, and it felt like he'd been skewered.  Or at least he thought it felt like that, but he couldn't be sure, since he'd never actually been skewered before.  Also, it was difficult to get his thoughts straightened out.

Seeing wasn't coming too easily, either.  He saw a few fuzzy faces, but after so much darkness even the dim lighting hurt his eyes.

He made a mental list, trying to figure out if there was anything that *didn't* hurt.  He'd tried sitting up, and that had hurt, he'd tried talking, and that had hurt, too, and even breathing was bringing him pain.  That was probably a combination of the sharp pain in his chest, and the fact that his throat was dryer than it had ever been.

Clearly, someone was reading his mind.  Adam felt the plastic rim of a water bottle pressed against his lips, and heard a gently voice murmuring into his ear.  He didn't register what the voice was saying, but he recognized the voice itself, somehow.  Then in clicked.  Jane.  Jane was with him.  He relaxed considerably then, and let the cool water trickle down his parched throat.

Once again Adam tried to figure out what was going on.  He knew that he was hurt, and that Jane was with him.  That alone was a comforting thought.  For the first time he realized that he heard whispered voices, and that triggered something in his memory that he couldn't quite place.  

In a flash, everything came rushing back to him.  The voices on the radio, dozing off, and the truck, then Jane's terrified scream, which nearly tore his heart in half.  Blackness and pain had taken him after that, and he hadn't been aware of anything for what seemed like an eternity.  After that he remembered hearing Grace's voice, begging him to wake up, and he had tried, but just couldn't.  Grace had cried, he was sure of it, and he had felt terrible for scaring her so much.  But not even the frigid waters had fully woken him. He had been cold up until recently, and had caught snatches of conversation, but nothing more.  He came close to waking when someone had moved him, but his awareness had remained far away.

All of this was too much to handle at one time.  He breathed in deeply, trying to clear his foggy mind, but this proved to be a mistake.  He erupted into coughing fit, which hurt more than everything else put together.  The sense of time escaped him, and he wasn't sure of how long he had been coughing, or when it would stop.  

After a while, though, it did.  The pain eased away a little, but never completely left him. Adam succumbed to the exhaustion that was creeping over his body, and slipped into an uneasy slumber.

*        *        *

"Is he okay now?" Joan asked worriedly.

"I don't know," Grace replied, just as shaken as Joan.  "He's still breathing, so..."

"Yeah," Joan said absentmindedly, watching Adam's face carefully.  "Yeah.  That's good."

Luke remained silent.  All three were terrified beyond measure.  Adam had woken, and spoken briefly, but had responded to very little after that.  He had nearly come to when Joan had spoken to him, and had taken a bit of water, but nothing else.  After that he had started murmuring, and seemed to be struggling to wake up, but no one was entirely sure of what was going on inside his head.  Then he had gone into a horrible coughing fit, that hadn't stopped for several minutes.

For one dreadful moment they had thought that they'd lost him, since he didn't seem to be breathing.  But Joan had noticed the shallow, ragged breaths that he was taking, and his barely existing pulse.

Now he was asleep, and all three were thankful of the fact.  It was better for him to be asleep and away from the pain, than for him to be awake and suffering because of it.

His reprieve from consciousness didn't last long, however.  Not even half an hour later, Adam was once again struggling to wake, Joan was by his side, as always, and spoke to him softly.  His eyes opened slowly, and focused on her face.

"Jane," he said, watching her.  "What happened?" He shifted a bit, but clearly even the slightest movement brought him pain.

"Don't try to sit up," Joan told him gently, placing a hand on his shoulder.

He obeyed her command, but repeated his question.  "What happened?"  
  


"What's the last thing you remember?" Joan asked him.  Adam thought for a moment.

"The truck," he said finally.

"Truck?  What truck?" Joan asked, confused.

"The one that hit us," Adam explained his voice a little shaky.  Joan nodded, and caught the glances of Grace and Luke.  Things were starting to make more sense.  

"How do you feel?" Joan asked, turning her gaze back to Adam.

"Not good," he told her, with a slight grimace.

"I'm not surprised," Joan said, narrowing her eyes.  "Let's not go off-roading again anytime soon."

"Unchallenged," he murmured, closing his eyes for a moment.  When he opened them he noticed the towel that Grace had found the day before.  The rather bloody towel.  A billion things flashed through his mind, and he registered for the first time where they were, and the kind of state he was truly in.  Joan saw where his gaze was directed, and sighed.

"Is it bad?" Adam asked her quietly.

"Yeah, it is," Joan said sadly, "but you'll be okay.  We'll figure out how to get home soon."

Adam smiled slightly at the note of hope in her voice, even though he didn't quite believe what she was saying.  "So what happened?"

Grace crouched down beside him, and addressed her long-time friend for the first time.

"You got a windshield wiper rammed through your chest," she told him, "and scared me more than I've ever been in my life in the process."

"I'm glad I don't remember that," Adam said thoughtfully.

"Yeah," Grace said, all but glaring at him, "and I *know* that has to hurt, so don't you dare try and pretend that it doesn't." Joan nodded in agreement.  Luke was still sitting at the front of the cave, lost in thought.

Adam started to nod as well, but even something as simple as that was painful.  Maybe he should just abandon the thought of moving totally.  Too bad he still had to breathe…

Grace noticed the pained expression of Adam's face, and her expression softened.

"You should try and rest some more," she said, motioning to Joan to grab the water bottle again, "but drink something else first, okay?"

Before Adam could agree, Joan was once again helping him to swallow another mouthful of the bottled water.  He shut his eyes again, and fell asleep almost immediately.

Grace sighed heavily.  "What do we do now?" she asked.

"There's not a lot that we can do," Luke said, glancing over at her.  "We can't go anywhere, and we don't even know if anyone has realized that we're gone."

"So we wait?" Joan questioned, even though she didn't need an answer.  The only thing she didn't know was what they were waiting for.

*        *        *  

_*Earlier that morning*_

Helen Girardi sat at the kitchen table, slowly sipping a cup of coffee.  She had almost grown accustom to the quiet of the house.  Kevin had moved out a few months ago, and Joan and Luke were still on their little trip with Grace and Adam.  She expected them to be back sometime within the next two days.

Just then, her husband walked in and poured himself a cup of coffee.

"The kids aren't back yet?" he asked.  Helen shook her head.  

"Not yet," she told him, "but they will be soon."  
  


At that moment the phone rang, ending the briefing conversation.  Helen picked it up while Will searched for his keys.

"Hello?" she said, twisting the phone cord around her fingers.

"Helen?  It's Carl," came the reply of Carl Rove.  "Have you heard from Joan or Luke?"

"No, I haven't," she told him. Suddenly dismayed by the thought.  Shouldn't they have at least called to say they were on their way?  "Why?" she asked.  "What's wrong?"  
  


"I can't get a hold of Adam," Carl explained, "and I called Mr. Polonski, and he hasn't heard from Grace either."

Helen cast a worried gaze towards her husband, who looked back at her, confused.

"I'll try to call Joan," Helen said to Carl, "I told her to keep her phone on, and she keeps it with her.  Unless she lost it again, which is possible?  But I'm sure the others just have theirs off.  She'll have them call you."

After exchanging good byes, Helen hung up the phone and turned to her husband.

"What's going on?" Will asked her.  Helen had already picked the phone back up and was dialing Joan's cell phone number.

"Adam and Grace haven't called home yet," she said quickly, bringing the phone up to her ear.  "I'm calling Joan to check up on them."

Underneath a twisted pile of metal that had once been the back half of a car, a cell phone was ringing.

*        *        *        *

You like?  I hope so.  Just to let you know, there isn't a lot left.  There are ten chapters altogether, and I have a little less than half of the tenth one left to write.  Yay for finishing a long story!  Rejoicing, as in townspeople!  I think you'll really like these last few chapters.  They're definitely my favorites.

Please review and maybe I can get the last few chapters up sooner.  No promises, though.  I'll be really busy all the way through May, because I referee soccer.  I'll try really hard, though.

~Cop~


	8. For Jane

I am very gracious indeed.  Here I am, giving you another chapter a mere day after the last one was posted.  Karma points for Cop!  Sure, it's probably one of the least happy chapters yet, but that's what I'm good at.  I was in the zone on this one.  It is pretty short, though.  Ah well, and update is an update.

Oh and **_writer-always-n-forever_**, I picked your idea for a road name.  *balloons fall and confetti is thrown*

Not much else to say, since the last chapter was posted yesterday.  Keep in mind though, the other updates will take longer, unless I get more lucky breaks (ex:  a game that I was supposed to ref gets cancelled), which don't happen very often.  Now you see why I need the karma points.

Review responses then:

Wiccan-One14:  Yay!  You liked it!  So did I.  Windshield wipers are mean, aren't they?  Thanks for the review!

Jane and Adam:  Nice pen name!  You can have a piece of candy for being a new reader, and because your name makes me happy.  *gives you a piece of candy*

hgill:  You have the second most reviews on this story.  *throws more confetti* Killing people?  Hmm… *laughs evilly* And yay for parents getting suspicious.  Mine are TOO suspicious, however.  Ah well.

Oh, and by the way, the second (and last) part of this chapter is my favorite part of the story so far.  So…yeah.  I just wanted to tell you that.

**DISCLAIMER**:  I only own Victor Barry, the semi driver from chapter one, and I don't even own his name.  I will give cookies and ice cream to anyone who can figure out which two people he is named after.  You won't get it unless you have some knowledge of the first and second season of the X-Files.  I know you people are out there.

~Cop~

*        *        *        *

**Soundtrack of Sorrow**

_Chapter Eight:  For Jane_

The mood surrounding the foursome was not a happy one.  It hadn't started raining again, but none of the hourly news broadcasts so much as mentioned their predicament.

The sun was setting, casting ominous shadows over the landscape.  Adam was awake again, and was staring at the roof of the cave in silence.  He wasn't bleeding as much, but he was still far too pale for comfort, and his fever was slowly getting worse.  Joan was beside him, quietly humming the tune to the song on the radio, her fingers laced through Adam's.  Luke was restacking the pile of firewood for about the thousandth time, and Grace was outside, angrily throwing rocks at the car.

By the time Grace came back inside, three more songs had played, and the seven o' clock news announcements were beginning to be broadcasted.

"Hilary Hughes, principal of the local Harrison High School, was caught shoplifting a shower curtain yesterday-"

"Quite the system they have running here," Grace said, smirking.  Luke hushed her, and they listened to the next story.

"A family of ducks was found inside a second-grade classroom this morning.  The animal control officer-"

"This is crap," Grace said, rolling her eyes.  "I can't believe they actually waste our time-"

She fell silent when the radio announcer spoke again.

"The driver of the semi-truck that crashed early yesterday morning on Graywood Road is still unconscious after the accident.  Victor Barry's vehicle was the only one involved in the crash, the cause of which has not yet been determined.  The doctors report that his condition is-"

Luke shut the radio off.

"We were on Graywood," Adam said quietly, his eyes closed.  "They don't know we're gone."

Joan and Luke exchanged worried glances, and Grace swore loudly.  

"How long are we going to be stuck out here?" Grace questioned angrily.

"But Grace, aren't you having fun?" Adam asked her, with as much of a smile as he could manage.

Grace sighed.  "You know what, Rove?  It doesn't matter how much blood you're lost, we don't need your sarcasm.  And shouldn't you be asleep or something?"  
  


"I'm fine, Grace," he told her softly.

"I'll believe that when I start having fun out here," Grace stated impatiently.  "You're hurt.  Things aren't going to get any better unless we get out of here soon."

"It's not that bad," Adam said with a slight cough.

"Adam," Joan said pleadingly.  He glanced over at her.  

"I said I'm okay, Jane," he said firmly.  The look in his eyes told her that he wanted to believe it.

Joan finally convinced him that he needed rest, and got him to swallow another mouthful of water, and within two minutes he was asleep again.  Joan placed her hand on his warm forehead, and frowned.  She got up and beckoned to Grace and Luke to follow her outside.

"How do you think he's doing?" she asked them as they stood on the riverbank, shivering in the evening breeze.

Luke shook his head.  "Not well.  He's trying to not let it get to him, but…"

"He doesn't want everyone to worry," Grace told them, "and he especially doesn't want to upset you," she added, nodding towards Joan.

"What else are we going to do besides worry?" Joan demanded.  "I mean, look at him.  He barely even looks alive."  She sniffed a little as she made this last remark.

Grace could plainly see what Joan was talking about.  Adam's skin looked nearly white, which greatly contrasted with the dark red of his blood.  His breaths were uneven, and he tossed his head every few moments, pain etched, on his pale face.  Joan slowly re-entered the cave and knelt down beside him, pushing his hair away from his forehead with her uninjured hand.  His fever was steadily growing, and sweat beaded his forehead.

Joan could sense the presence of her brother and best friend as they stood behind her.

"Will he make it?" she questioned to anyone who might be listening.

She was glad when she didn't receive an answer.

*        *        *

Adam knew that he was dying.  There was just something build into the brain that let you know when you didn't' have to much time left.  A rather depressing notification, yet very informative.

He definitely didn't wasn't to die.  After all, he was only eighteen.  He still had so much that he wanted to do; so much to live for.  His father, for instance.  If Adam were to die, there would be nothing left for his dad to hold on to.  Not even the hope that things would get better.

And then there was Jane.  He'd wanted to wake up beside her every morning for the rest of his life, which didn't seem to be too much longer.  There were so many things that he wanted to see and do with her, things that would never happen should he pass on.  For him, this wouldn't serve as a problem, since death erased all guilt.  Jane, however, would be punished.  She would always be without him, and he would spend eternity in blissful oblivion.

There were other things, too.  Grace, who had bee his closest friend for as long as he could remember.  His art, which was his one true method of expression.  Even those simple pleasures, like eating pizza or sleeping in on Saturdays.  All of those things he would have to do without.  Of course, pizza wouldn't miss him, but Grace would.

Finally, and perhaps most of all, to die would mean to admit defeat; to give up.  His mother had given up.  As much as he admired and respected his mother, that was the one thing that Adam despised about her.  That she was able to take all off those things into consideration, and still go out of her way to abandon them all.  To abandon him.  He could never do that to someone that he loved.  Ever.

No, he would hold on.  For Jane.

*TBC*


	9. But It All Stays the Same

Yes, I know, it's been _years_ since I updated. Okay, maybe not years, but still, it's been long enough. I've actually had this written since about the last time I updated, I just never got around to updating it. I didn't write all summer, and now I'm on the newspaper staff at school (which rocks out loud, by the way) and I've been really busy writing about poker and low carb diets.

Oh and there has been a change of plan. Although I had planned this as a ten chapter story, I've decided to make this the last chapter. Although this is probably my favorite story that I've written, I had very little initiative to finish it, because I started writing fics for other fandoms, and this one just got pushed aside. But, thanks to a friend of mine who loves the song 'Tonight is the Night I Fell Asleep at the Wheel' (from the first chapter) and listens to it on my MP3 player during technical theater, and a review from **tvspaz626** that made me feel bad about leaving you people hanging, I'm finishing it up.

Well, I don't have a lot more to say. I want to thank all of you for your reviews and support. I love this story, and I'm a little sad that it's over, but I need to finish things up now, before I stray from it again. I had planned a sequel, but that hasn't really gotten anywhere. So don't get your hopes up too much, but then again, don't be surprised if a continuation does pop up.

And now, for the last time, here are the reviewer responses. I can't believe I hit **71 reviews**, that's a record for me. You people are great.

Allie: Thanks for sticking around for so long. You know, I'm not totally sure why I decided to do the thing with the windshield wiper. I knew that I wanted something like that to happen, but the windshield wiper itself just kind of popped into my head. I'm glad my descriptions are vivid, but I know what you mean about the shudders. It creeps me out, and I'm the one who wrote it. : )

Jane and Adam: Happy dances are so much fun. I love reading/writing sad stuff, because it seems to add a lot more the story, especially if they can get to happily ever after despite it all. Let's hope they do for this story.

WingdFairy90: Oh, I'm sorry; I didn't mean to almost make you cry. Here, have a marshmallow. hands you a marshmallow Marshmallows always make things better. Chapter eight was definitely my favorite out of them all, and I'm glad someone else thinks so, too.

possibilities: I get your point entirely, I could have easily had one of them do that. But they were pretty lost, and didn't know where the road was, and in chapter 4 or 5 (I don't remember which) that comes up, but Joan doesn't want them to split up. Anyway, I just used my authoress powers, since it'd be hard to write a story about people lost in the woods if they found their way to the road.

Wiccan-One14: Of course you don't sound too demanding. Thanks for all of your support (and friendly reviews).

Admiral Lily: A lot of my friends had the same reaction. I hope you like the conclusion.

niteowl-gal: Yup, second most reviews is pretty awesome. And, yeah, he kinda is dying, but hey, maybe he'll get fixed in this chapter. You'll just have to read to find out. Thanks for being a faithful reader!

Z: I know exactly what you mean, and I can't explain it either. I'm glad you like my story so much.

Writer-always-n-forever: Your reviews are always some of my favorites. Pretty much everything is wrapped up in this chapter, so hopefully most of your questions will be answered. And I have thought about writing a one-shot companion fic for this about Kevin's thoughts on the whole thing. You know, I probably should do that. I'm gonna try to work on that, even if I don't write a sequel. Thanks for all of your kind (and entertaining) reviews.

EmmyMik: I worked really hard to get Grace right, so I'm glad to get some recognition for that. Thanks.

RoswellianKitten: Yeah, I know, I waited for way too long, and I'm really sorry. But hey, at least I'm finishing it now, right?

ggfan4life: I'm glad you like this story so much. Oh, and what's 'gg'? Just curious.

tvspaz626: You deserve a lot of credit for getting me to do this, cuz your last review made me feel bad about not updating. Not mad, or anything, just kind of guilty. But that's a good thing, cuz I needed a little jump start to get going again. So, thanks, and this update's for you.

Becca: Nope, this is the last chapter. I'm glad you enjoyed it so much.

JoAFan: I'm glad you're hooked! I hope you like how I wrap things up.

Jane: Yeah, I'm finishing it, just it case you hadn't figured it out yet ;). Thanks for reviewing!

Wow, I really hope I didn't skip anyone, because that was a lot of reviews. I hope this chapter meets your expectations. Thanks for sticking around (to those of you who did). You guys make writing worthwhile.

Cop

**

* * *

**

**Soundtrack of Sorrow**

_Chapter Nine: But it all Stays the Same_

It was almost five in the morning, and Helen was worried. The kids were expected to arrive at any time, but she hadn't heard for anyone for more than two days, and neither had Carl Rove or Grace's family. When she had seen the footage of the wreck on Graywood road, she knew that something was wrong. Her maternal instincts told her that as worried as she was, she wasn't worried enough.

"They checked out of the hotel almost three days ago," Will said as he entered the room, having just hung up after a conversation whit ha hotel clerk. "Wasn't that when they planned on leaving?"

"They should be home, then," Helen said, shaking her head. "They haven't even called. What could have happened to them? What if they were in an accident, Will?" she asked, her voice a timid whisper. "We can't go through that again."

"I know," Will said, embracing his wife. He took a seat beside her, and accidentally sat on the remote control, turning on the television. Both of them started by the sudden noise, and then listened in shock as a women on the news station talked about the crash on Graywood.

"In a startling change to this case, Victor Barry, driver of the semi truck that crashed on Graywood road early Monday morning, has regained consciousness and told officials that there was another vehicle involved in the crash. He described the vehicle as a dark Chevy trailblazer. Apparently the vehicle went off road at a spot where the guard rail had been destroyed this spring. The location of the vehicle and any possible survivors of the crash is unknown, but search parties have already formed and are scanning the area."

The newscast went on, but there was no way for the Girardi parents to hear it from their car as it sped towards the police station.

--------------------

Adam wasn't doing well, to say the very least. His fever had grown at an alarming rate overnight, his breaths were ragged and shallow, and his skin had lost almost all color.

It was a little past sunrise, and no one was sure how much longer Adam could cling to life. Joan was at his side, per usual, his cold hand in her trembling one. Occasionally she would whisper something into his ear, even though she didn't know if she could still hear her.

Grace and Luke were both silent. Death hung heavily in the air about them. There was nothing left that they could do, and they knew it.

At six o' clock Like switched the radio on. For the first time the top story was a welcome one.

"Search parties are scanning the woods near Graywood road for the missing occupants of a Chevy trailblazer involved in a crash with a semi truck early Monday morning. It is reported that there were four people in the car, but the helicopter have yet to spot anyone.

Things were definitely looking up now. There were three simultaneous sighs of relief. Their torment was almost over.

"It'll be alright now," Luke said, "as long as Adam can hold on until they find us. I don't think they can miss that." He pointed to the half of the car in the river.

Grace walked over to where Joan sat. "We need to wake him up. Hopefully it won't take long to find us, and I think he'll have a better chance if he's awake." Joan nodded, and shook Adam gently.

"Adam," she said firmly, "you have to wake up now. There are people looking for us. They'll be here soon."

Adam didn't stir, and Joan tried again.

"Adam," she pleaded, "please wake up. You're scaring us. You have to hang on."

Still, not even the slightest stirrings. A sudden fear gripped her, and she realized that he may have already gone, and she hadn't known it.

Grace was scared as well, and knelt down before her oldest friend.

"Rove," she said sternly, "if you do not open your eyes right now, then so help me, I will tell everyone about the eighth grade Christmas party."

"Yet another moment of silence, then-

"God, Grace. Why are you always so angry?"

Grace grinned broadly in relief at Adam's mumbled reply.

"It's about time you answered," Grace said, trying to sound serious, although her voice was a little shaky. "We thought we'd lost you for a second there."

"I'm not that easy to get rid of," came Adam's soft response.

His remark got a smile out of Grace. Adam opened his eyes and stared up at Joan.

"You okay?" he asked her, a little breathless.

"Me?" Joan asked, confused, "I'm fine."

"You hurt your arm."

"Don't worry about me," she said firmly.

Adam didn't argue, but closed his eyes instead.

"No, Adam," Joan said quickly, "you have to stay awake. You need to hold on until help gets here."

There was a pause before Adam spoke again.

"It's hard, Jane," he said finally.

"I know it is," Joan said sympathetically, brushing his hair away from his eyes, "but it won't be long now. Just hang on for a bit longer."

Adam looked up at her again and nodded. "I'll try."

--------------------

David Walker had been on plenty of search and rescue missions in the past fifteen years. He couldn't give an exact percentage of survivors, or of bodies (or body parts) recovered. From the looks of things, today they would be returning bodies to three families, and that was if they were lucky.

Apparently the Trailblazer had been knocked off the road and down the sloping terrain. From above, David could clearly see the trail of destruction caused by the car. It split in two, and David passed over a field where one half of the car was bent around a tree. He continued following the other path, looking for the rest of the vehicle.

He found it flipped over, and beached on a rock in the middle of a river. One look at it told him there were no survivors.

David was definitely shocked when he saw the young man waving his arms from the river bank.

--------------------

The next six days were hell. At least, they were for Grace, Luke, and Joan, plus their families and Adam's father. Adam spent the time comatose. That was the worst part of it for the others.

Grace, Luke, and Joan were all discharged from the hospital after a day or so, the only real injury sustained among them being Joan's broken wrist. For some reason, more than likely because of Luke and Grace, her cast had ended up neon pink. It actually wasn't too bad, once she got over how bright it was.

Their days became defined by the number of hours spent by Adam's bedside, and the number of tasteless coffees they drank to stay awake. Despite their families urging, the trio refused to leave the hospital, sleeping in the hard plastic chairs, or in their parents' cars, once they'd relented.

The doctor repeatedly explained that things didn't look good at all, that Adam might never wake up, that his wound was grievous, and that it was miraculous that he had survived as long as he had, especially given the conditions. Joan and the others tried their best not to let these statements get to them, because they wouldn't get anywhere without hope.

After six days, things finally started to look up.

A week after he had been brought to the hospital, Adam woke up. He wasn't ready to go home yet, but the prognosis was suddenly good.

The other three ex-castaways went in to visit him as soon as the doctors quit trying to keep them out of his room. He was propped up in bed, a clean white bandage wrapped around his chest. His still pale face broke into a wide grin as soon as he saw his friends.

"I've been out for a long time, haven't I?" he said, his voice a little scratchy from disuse.

Joan nodded. "A week."

"You freaked us all out, Rove," Grace told him. Luke nodded his agreement.

Adam looked to Joan, who had tears in her eyes. "Don't cry, Jane," he said softly. "Everything's all right now."

Joan sniffed and nodded. "I know. I was just so worried."

"We all were," Luke added.

Adam was quiet for a moment, "Well, the first part of the trip was fun. We should do it again sometime."

Everyone was silent, then burst out laughing.

"Just promise us one thing," Grace said.

"What's that?" Adam asked, a slight smile playing on his lips.

Joan finished the thought for her. "Let's not drive anywhere."

Adam grinned. "Unchallenged."

Outside the door, a nurse who knew everything about everyone listened to the laughter of the four children inside. Knowing better than anyone else that they would all recover, her happiness was the truest of all.

END

1:27 pm, Wednesday, October 06, 2004


End file.
